Lawyers for Civil Justice would like to commend the Oklahoma State Chamber for leading efforts in the passage of H.B. 1603 in the Oklahoma State Legislature on May 21, 2009.   

The bill, which incorporates sections of the LCJ Expert Evidence provision, includes reforms in the areas such as: class action reforms, adoption of summary judgment similar to that allowed in federal lawsuits, product liability reforms; junk science testimony rules, and a number of others.  You can access the bill by using this link: http://www.okstatechamber.com/lawsuitreform/pdf/HB1603_Final.pdf

LCJ has long advanced Daubert type standards, which emphasize the need for Judges to act as “gatekeepers” to eliminate “junk science” from the courtroom.  LCJ state efforts reflect our members’ experiences in the courtroom and demonstrate how unqualified “experts” and misleading scientific testimony can adversely affect the outcome of a trial.

LCJ’s state expert evidence project is comprised of corporate and defense counsel and is currently pursuing state-specific legislative and rulemaking strategies in key states, such as Oklahoma.

For more information on the recent activity in Oklahoma, please contact Mike Seney of the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce at mseney@okstatechamber.com.  If there are any developments in your state, please contact Barry Bauman at BBauman@lfcj.com or by phone at (202) 429-0045 with any information or questions you may have.